View: At ADIPEC, war is the challenge and AI the opportunity
Semafor · Mohammed Sergie ·
Abu Dhabi’s flagship energy event is no longer a big tent gathering. But most of the world attends because of the energy-AI bonanza.
Mohammed’s view
Abu Dhabi’s annual energy exhibition is buzzing, tangible proof that the UAE has absorbed the blows of the Iran war and has its eye on the future. Most conversations I’ve had at ADIPEC, one of the biggest events on the global calendar, have focused on opportunities: oil above $100 a barrel, a new unconventional oil play being unlocked in the UAE, fusion, AI, and infrastructure upgrades. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spoke at the opening ceremony, a symbol of the close relationship between energy and technology.
There’s plenty to be excited about in the industry that remains the Gulf’s economic lifeblood. But this ADIPEC isn’t like its predecessors, and it’s not just because of the war.